Coupling clamp



Sept 17, 1957 E. J. ANsPAl-i ETAL 2,806,724

* COUPLING CLAMP Filed Dec. 6. 1954 IN V EN TORS. kmr ogame J.' Anspgc/zY Wa ter' /fawaZs/h B United States Patent@ a CoUrLlNG CLAMP Eugene J.Anspach, Milwaukee, and Walter Kowalski, South Milwaukee, Wis.,assignors to MfcC-raw-E-:lison Company, a corporation of DelawareApplication December 6, 1954, Serial No. 473,393

3 Claims. (Cl. 287-118) This invention relates to a clamp for engaging acylindrical member or for mechanically coupling a pair of cylindricalmembers such as shafts or pipes in rigid end- -Wise relationship.

The invention is particularly applicable to electric substations where agroup of simultaneously operated disconnect switches are located highupon a metallic structure for operation through suitable intermediatemechanism from a remote station near ground level. In such cases atubular shaft in the form of a pipe is connected to the switch mechanismabove to a manual operating lever or mechanical drive means below sothat torque supplied to the shaft accomplishes opening and closing ofthe switches.

Frequently, the switch operating pipe shaft is too long to be made in asingle convenient length so it is the practice among suppliers ofswitching equipment yto provide pipes in standard lengths and onefractional length so that the desired overall length may be made up.This means that the individual pieces of pipe must be coupled Itogetherat the site of installation, an operation which is facilitated by thisinvention. In addition, it is occasionally necessary that one of thepipe sections be sawed off in the field for the purpose of attaining adesired overall length. Upon this event, where prior art couplings areused, i't is the practice to ldrill through the coupling and eachabutting end of the pipes and to insert a bolt or other dowel means toassure that the coupling would not slip with respect to the pipes whiletransmitting a torsional force from one pipe section to another.

Those versed in the art will recognize as an obvious disadvantage theneed for drilling through the pipe wall because it weakens the pipetorsionally and because of the inconvenience accompanying drilling ofholes with equipment that requires more manual effort to operate than isordinarily required for machinery back in the fabricating shop. Asidefrom the reasons enumerated it is also desirable to avoid drilling andcutting of the pipe because it punctures the galvanizing metal withwhich most substation components are coated during manufacture, thusincreasing the likelihood of corrosion.

This invention facilitates coupling of pipe shafts in the held,overcomes the above noted disadvantages and has among its objects thefollowing: to provide a coupling which positively connects adjacentshaft ends without use of set screws, through-bolts or welding andwithout requiring on-the-job drilling; to provide a coupling capable ofpositively transmitting high torque although it has proportionatelysmall metal content; to enhance positive gripping of the coupled shaftsby means of built-in shaft engaging lugs; and, the very important objectof making the two mating halves of the coupling identical andinterchangeable so that assembly is facilitated and considerable economymay be effected in manufacturing the forming and piercing dies, only asingle set beirig required for both halves. A general object is toprovide a more useful and eicient coupling. More specilic objects willappear from time to time hereinafter.

ICC

In general terms, the invention comprises a coupling which may be madein two identical pieces. Each piece includes a substantiallysemi-circular clamping body which is adapted to lie snugly in frictionalengagement with the coupled shafts. One or more lugs protrude radiallyinward from the interior surface of the body portion for positiveengagement with a longitudinal groove in the pipe shafts which thecoupling joins. Thus, friction alone is not relied upon to transmittorque but positive connection is made by the lugs registering with agroove in the pipe.

To avoid the need for slipping the coupling over the end of a pipe whenpositioning or removing it, the separate pieces of the coupling areadapted to interlockingly hinge on each other so that they may be swungopen. Integral flanges project radially from the coupling body forreceiving clamping bolts which urge the halves together and firmly seatthe coupling lugs in the pipe grooves.

A detailed description of the invention will now be made in conjunctionwith the drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows a plan view of the coupling clamp assembly, with some ofthe bolts omitted, and applied to separate pipe sections, one of whichcarries a manual operating handle;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is -a partial sectional view, with the pipe omitted, taken on theline 3 3 of Fig. 1, illustrating the configuration of the grooveengaging lugs; and

Fig. 4 represents a top view showing the hinge tongues and slots of theclamp, in detail.

By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen how the novel coupling is used torigidly join a pair of tubular pipe shafts 1 in aligned endwiserelationship. Bearing in mind that the opposed mating halves of thecoupling are identical, reference may be made to Fig. 2 which moreclearly discloses their mode of cooperation. Numeral 3 designates thearcuate body portion of the clamp which on its internal face 4 followsthe contour of pipe 1 in snug frictional engagement. Embossed radiallyinwardly from body 3 are a plurality of spaced lugs 5 which protrudeinto registry with a longitudinally disposed groove 7 pressed into theperiphery of the pipes 1. The conformation of the lug is best seen inFig. 3. It is preferable to make lugs 5 just a little longer radiallythan the depth of groove 7 so that when the coupling is tightened on thepipes the lug 5 will be forced into very intimate contact with everycrevice of the groove 7. By keying the clamp to the pipe in this manner,very excellent torque transmitting characteristics result.

A bolt flange 9 extends outwardly from one margin of clamp body 3 and isprovided with a series of square holes 10 for receiving galvanizedcarriage bolts 11. Since the halves of the coupling hinge on each otherin a manner more fully described hereinafter, tightening of the carriagebolts 11 forces the lugs 5 in groove 7 as described.

The remote edge of ange 9 is bent at a right angle to form a coextensivelip 12 which strengthens the iiange and may serve to act as a limitingstop when the assembly is tightened excessively as is evident from Fig.2.

Since each half of the coupling is identical, merely turning one halfendwise with respect to the other and interlocking them is all that isnecessary to form the coupling assembly.

Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawing show a plurality of tongues 16 projectingfrom the margin of the clamp body 3 opposite flange 9 and following thecurvature of the body 3. The tongues 16 terminate in hook-like portions15 for a reason which will be evident shortly. Immediately adjacent thetongues 16 are slots 17 having dimensions closely corresponding with thecross sectional dimensions of the tongues. 'Ihese slots 17 are set backfrom the margin of the clamp and disposed in an oset portion 18 thereofwhich forms a recess allowing the tongue 16 to passrunder -oiset 18While Ithe tongue 'bears Ydirectly on the pipe 1 as in the assembly ofFig. 2. The hook-like ends of the tongues 16 extend through theslots 17and form a vhinge joint ltherewith 'which can only "be piyoted when thecarriage bolts Hare loosened'or removed. This. feature enables placing'the coupling -ri'ghtpn'a ljoint with-5 out sliding it Vover thep'ipeend. Note 'especially Iinvli'ig. 4 that pairs-of tongues 1'6 andslots -17 are spacedV equidistantly vfrom each other so that `when thecorresponding halves vof Vthe coupling are interlocke'd :their endscoincide and presentan even edge around the coupling.

Use ofthe described'coupling Aand groovedgpipein conjunction with avmanual operating handle 'such as shown in Fig. 1 completely avoidshaving to cut 'pipe or drill holes therein when Vassembling a switchoperan'ng shaft IYon fthe job, thereby lmaintaining'the integrity of thegalvani-Z'ing coating on all parts, afact -Which could not beaccomplished with zprior -art devices. This is so becauseoperating'handle V2S is carried'by a splitclamp 26 thrusted on a bearing28 which -is inturn supported'on a'bracket 27 iin 'such manner -thatpipe V1 V*itself Yextends straight through the bearing 28. Consequently,if lga'lvanized'pipe 1 is -a -little Vlonge-when shipped it need y:notlbe cut in the eld, rather, .the vpipe Vneed vonly extend a littlefarther through bearing 26 as shown. Hence, 'bracket 27 vmaybe anchoredin a position corresponding with the exact height of the handle "2Sdesired by the customer regardless of whether the operated group ofswitches is a little above Y or below its predetermined height.

a tongue projecting circumferentially from the opposite margin Iandhaving the radius of curvature of said body, said body 'having a portionoiset to a greater radius than said body adjacent said opposite marginand said oiset portion having a tongue Vreceiving aperture thereinlongitudinally spaced from said tongue, the oirfset portion of anendwise oppositely disposed clamping member overlaying the tongue of acooperating identical member when in clamping relation on a `cylindricalmember.

1 is usually standard iron pipe yand the coupling clamp Y itself ispreferably made of mild steel, although any metal whichV lends itself toprogressive 'forming operation Vmay Y be used for the latter.

Summarily, a novel couplingclamp has been described, in considerabledetail, which eiiiciently transmits force fonoperating aswitc'h :andwhich facilitates assemblingof the operating pipe shaft -unit aty the4placeV of installation without cutting the pipe, or Iimpairing thegalvanizing by set screws biting into the pipe and without drillingholes on vthe job. The scope of the invention Y-is to -be limited onlyby the claims which follow.

it is-claimed:

V1. A clamping member adapted to cooperate fwith an identical member forengaging a cylindrical member vcomprising, an arcuate cylinder embracingVbody lhaving a lug protruding radially inwardly therefrom, a boltVreceiving ange extending radially irom Yone margin :of sa'id body,

2. A clamp for coupling *two longitudinally externally groovedcylindrical members in end to end relationship comprising, a pair ofidenticalclamping members each having .an arcuate body conforming withthe periphery of the cylinders to be coupled and having a plurality oflugs protruding `radially inwardly 'for :reception by a groove, a boltreceiving flange extending radially from one margin of said body, aplurality of tongues projecting circumferentially from the oppositemargin of said body and having outwardly hooked ends, said -body havingo'tset portions of greater vradius of curvature thanlsaidbody fadjacentsaid opposite 'margin,:saidotset portions leach'having a tonguereceiving aperture therein Vlongitudinally spaced from atongue',rwhereby the hooked rends of theV tongues .on vone clamping.member fmay Ahingedly engage the .apertures von :an :endwise opposedidentical .member with the :oisetportions'overlaying cooperatingtongues.

3. A clamp for engaging a cylindrical member com` prising twolsubstantially identical mating clamping mem-1 bers arranged in endwiseopposed relation witheach other,

each member including an arcuate cylinder iem'bracing.

body, a boltreceiving ange fextendingfradially Vfrom :one margin of-saidbody, a plurality of tonguesy projectingjcircumferentially -rom thevopposite margin of said body,v

said opposite marginhavingY apertures 'adjacentthereol and equidistantlyintermediate :the tongues 'for registra` tion withitongues `of anopposite clamping fmember, the portions of said margin .including saidapertures being otiset to a greater radius of curvature than said bodyfor overlaying the tongues of `a cooperating -clampingrnernber, whereby`said tongues bear on a cylindrical member being clamped.

References Cited in .the'le vof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS895,143 Augensen Aug. -4, 1908 1,151,914 Weaver 1 Aug. 31, 1591151,471,386 Crockett Oct. 23, 1923 1,638,230 Alsaker Aug. f9, Y192']

